Egg carton



Feb. 9, 1954 H. R. RUSSELL 2,668,652

EGG CARTON Filed May 19, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR.

3 EWWW Feb. 9, 1954 H. R. RUSSELL 2,668,652

EGG CARTON Filed May 19, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

Patented Feb. 9, 1954 Henry Richard Russell, St. Paul, Minna assignor," by meme-assignments, --t'- General Package (lorporationg-chicagm 111-, a corporation bfi Delaware ApplicationMay 19, 1948, Serial No. 27,911", 2 Claims: (01.225

My invention relates to'an'j improvement in egg cartons wherein it is "desired" to provide a means of holding the cartons"closed"iand ofproducing a structure "whichwill protcctthe' eggs after the carton has been opened;-

In the application of Ruth M; schilling',.serial No. 632,331, filed'December 3, 19,45, for, "Egg Carton, now Patent No". 2,600,'I30dated June 10, 1952,'an'egg carton isd'escribed composed of. three sections hingedlyconnectedl together. Two of these sections comprise cellular -bodies designed to enclose and prote'cteggs. The third section comprises a tray'shaped covering section which folds over the uppermost-of the two sections in closed position andprovides an added reinforcement. The carton was opened by first folding the cover section outofcovering posi tion and next swinging the uppermostipellularsection out of position covering the; eggs. =1,

It is the object of the: present invention to provide a novel means of closing the varioussections' and holding the sections closed-duringtransportation and display. In the past .it'has been necessary to providesome seal .orjstaple. means to hold the various sections closed. Once this seal was broken the two top portions of the'cart-on would readily fold out of fc'los'ed position and there was no means'of again'holding' the sections closed. Furthermore,'with"the previous" construction it was necessary to unioldtwo" cover sections before the eggs could be removed. An object of the present invention lies in a structure which avoids these previous difliculties.

A feature of the present invention lies in'theprovision of a film of adhesive uponthe upper sur-' face of the top cellular member'during'the closing of the carton so that whenthecarton is closed the top flat cover section adheres to the upper cellular section. Thus after'the carton is closed the adhesive prevents the relative folding between the two top sections, thus'hol'ding the carton closed.

A feature of the presentinvention lies inthe provision of an egg carton-formed o'f'th'ree sec tions hingedly connected together along parallel fold lines. The center sectioneomprises the egg containing section. One end'section' comprises a cellular section to fold over the center section so as to protect the eggs. The other end section comprises a flat top section to fold over the top cellular section and reinforce the same. "The adhesive film is providedbetween'thetop cellularsection and the top cover section, thus definitely holding the two Sections in folded Condition;

' An added feature of thepresent invention'lies in the. provision of'a carton-of the type-described which may bev readily" severedfalongthe hinge line connecting the two' cellularsections;" As a result after the eggs have been sold-and have Figure 2' is a 'perspectiveview "the carton" shown in Figured with the top cellular sectiorr folding to' overlietliebottomeellulai-secfiioni Figure 3 is a Side lvatiohalviewwf fhe oal' ton in completelyfolded pbsitionf Figure 4" is a secti0nail"vlew-througlftlf' egg carton in closedposition. V

Figure 5is a sectional view 'sihowingthe" c'ar ton of Figure 4 after the carton hasbeenop'ehedz FigureG is a diagrammatic viewwhowififthe manner in which adliesiveinay beapplfedtwthe top cellular secti'dn""duringthe sealing ofthe carton; n

The carton A illu'stratedi'irifthe'dreAi/iiigs"isicon structed as described 'indethiilfiii" thabovefidl'l tifi'ed application fortpatenttoRuth liZlTShill'nigf The carton Ainclud'e's apentei-Z'sedtion 'lfl.;'a"tbp cellular section .H, and a top c'over"sec'tion"' l2i' Sections ID and H ar econnectedlalohgfia fold line l3, While the cover section i2""isi';onnectd" to the center section Ifl' -alongltheiffdldline I41" Sections iii-and I] are. similar. in shape and construction although tlriecells vof"the. bottoni section It] may if. desiredbeislightlyl smaller'tlian the cells of ltheisection. -'l 1,. This. arrangement is sometimes used in viewof .itheifact that .egg's have been foundto withstandishipping lm'o're readily if the smalleror'moreipointedl-end ofth'e egg is, directly downwardlyi'n'the cartons"? The section I10 includes v.a marginarperipherai flange I 5 which'forms the edge of a 'coficav'eor" hand shaped body having a series ,of eggirlehe'iv ing recesses 16. therein. 1 Thes'iegg receiving". r'ecesses dare preferably arranged-in .ltwio. parallel rows. Therecesses are separated bys aceu posts. I! and .,byopposedi'fiWaidIY. bktefidiilgf T63 6C tions la mi 'I'It'he tapering; side Walls "oftthi section. Partitions 20 3 eXt'endifigJtlanSVefslY of. the ease connec'tthe" posts l'y'l' with the inwardly extending projections I9. Similar partition walls 2!] connect the various posts I! to form a longitudinal dividing wall between the recesses IS.

The section H is similarly formed. This section is provided with a marginal flange 2| encircling the same and foldably connected to the flange l5 along the fold line l3. Inwardly extending projections 22 are provided in spaced relation about the sloping side walls of the section and dividing posts 23 extend upwardly from the base of the section to divide the section into a series of cells 24. Transversely extending partition walls 25 connect the posts 23 and the opposed projections 22, and similar partition walls 26 extend longitudinally of the section between adjacent posts 23. These posts and partition walls form the cells 24 which support the eggs B and protect them during shipment.

The cell 24 each have an upwardly convex cushion element or dimple 24' of circular outline molded at the mid-point of the cell surface which is lowermost, as illustrated in Fig. 1, and uppermost when the section I l is inverted to the position shown in Fig. 2. These afford a yielding cushion for the eggs when the carton is closed, as do similar cushion elements molded in the cells of the bottom section in a corresponding location.

The cover section I2 includes a marginal flange 27 which is connected to the flange Id of the center section along the fold line I4. The top section 2! is provided with inclined or tapered longitudinal side walls 29 and 33 and sloping end walls 3| and 32. The base 33 of this pan shaped section is preferably flat as illustrated and provides a fiat upper surface on the carton which is usually printed or stencilled with the name of the producer and the commodity packed.

All of the foregoing explanation has been given to describe the general construction of the carton as it was disclosed in the aforementioned patent application. The present invention deals entirely with a means of sealing the carton and of providing a novel means of opening the carton.

As illustrated in Figures 2 and 6 of the drawings, after the eggs have been packed into the center section Ill, thetop cellular section II is folded to overlie the same. While in this position and with the cover section l2 still in open position, glue is applied to the bottom of the cells 24 or the top surface of these cells in the inverted position of the cellular section shown in Figures 2 and 6. This adhesive may be applied by any suitable means such as by the glue roller 34, illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 6. After the adhesive 35 has been applied to the upper ends of the inverted cells, the top section 12 is folded into closed position as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings. The adhesive 35 holds the base panel 33 of the top cover section 12 firmly to the top cellular section II in the manner best shown in Figure 4. While thus adherent, it is obvious that the top cover section I2 can not pivot about its hinge line l4 and the top cellular section H can not pivot about its hinge line I3. Thus the carton is held in closed position.

Furthermore, the adhesive 35, once hardened, constitutes in effect a stiffening lamina, as well as looking the inner and outer carton sections together, which considerably rigidifies the cover construction as a whole, yet the cushioning of the eggs by dimples 24 is preserved, they being relatively soft and yieldable as compared to the adhesive connected portions, since the roller method of applying the adhesive does not deposite any of the latter in these circular spots.

As the carton is preferably formed of molded pulp, it does not have great strength along its lines of fold. Thus the carton may be opened with comparative ease by severing the two parts of the carton along one of the fold lines. Figure 5 of the drawings shows the carton severed along the fold line l3 so that the adhered top sections H and I2 may fold about the fold line l3 in unison. This separation is usually accomplished by inserting a sharp knife or other blade into the fold at one end thereof and cutting the fold outwardly to separate it throughout its length. While the severing of the fold line l3 has certain advantages, there are also certain advantages in severing the carton along the fold line [4. However, in either event the top two sections may hinge in unison about the opposed remaining fold line in the manner which will be obvious from an examination of Figure 5.

This arrangement has certain definite advantages. By adhering the top two sections together, a seal is provided which holds the carton closed during shipment and display and prevents the handling of the eggs before the same are sold. Secondly the adhesive connection between the two top sections prevents any lateral or longitudinal shifting between these two sections, thus preventing injury to the eggs by any relative movement, while stiffening the dual cover construction as a Whole without sacrifice of egg cushioning action. 7 Furthermore with this construction the eggs are protected as long as they are in the carton by the opposed cellular sections without the necessity of folding two separate sections into covering position if the carton was closed. Thus the process of opening and closing the carton is greatly faciliation of my egg carton, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that obvious changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A molded pulp egg carton, comprising a pair of generally similar, cellular tray sections integrally hinged to one another along a bend line and subdivided into rows of egg receiving cells, the cells of one of said sections having substantially flat transverse base portions which are, respectively, spaced from and in coplanar relation to one another, said respective base portions providing substantially flat external surfaces of substantial area and an integral concave cushion element within each surface which extends into the cell, a generally non-cellular, tray-like cover section integrally hinged to one of said sections along a bend line for snug nesting engagement over the other thereof, said cover section being provided with a. substantially flat panel between the boundary walls thereof which has flush, surface-to-surface engagement with said external surfaces of said cell base portions, and adhesive securing said cover section panel to said base portion surfaces, butnot to said cushion elements, whereby to stiffen and hold said carton against hinging of any of said sections about eitherof said bend lines. said cushion elements being free of adhesive in order to preserve the cushioning quality of the lements.

2. A molded pulp egg carton, comprising a pair of generally similar, cellular tray sections integrally hinged to one another along a bend line and subdivided into rows of egg receiving cells, the cells of one of said sections having substantially flat transverse base portions which are, respectively, spaced from and in coplanar relation to one another, said respective base portions providing substantially flat external surfaces of substantial area and an integral concave cushion element within each surface which extends into the cell, a generally non-cellular, tray-like cover section integrally hinged to one of said sections along a bend line for snug nesting engagement over the other thereof, said cover section being provided with a substantially fiat panel between the boundary walls thereof which has flush, surface-to-surface engagement with said external surfaces of said cell base portions, and adhesive securing said cover section panel to said base portion surfaces but not to said cushion elements, whereby to stifien and hold said carton against hinging of any of said sections about either of said bend lines, said cushion elements being free of adhesive in order to preserve the cushioning quality of the elements, at least one of said bend lines being readily severable to permit hinging of the adhesively secured sections as a unit about the other bend line upon severance of said readily severable line.

HENRY RICHARD RUSSELL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,843,543 De Reamer Feb. 2, 1932 1,846,561 Koppelman Feb. 23, 1932 1,957,777 Heath May 8, 1934 1,975,128 Sherman Oct. 2, 1934 2,088,603 Kronenberger Aug. 3, 1937 2,160,893 Newsom June 6, 1939 2,446,264 Cox Aug. 3, 1948 2,569,681 Lennon Oct. 2, 1951 

